


Quiet

by Ellstra



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Fluff, Headaches & Migraines, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-27 23:04:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10055921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellstra/pseuds/Ellstra
Summary: “How bad is it?” Matt asks. He can hear Techie’s breathing and the movements of his eyes moving erratically.“Eight and a half,” Techie whispers through his gritted teeth. He gasps and stifles a sob.“Let’s get you back to bed,” Matt suggests and finds Techie’s waist with his hand, supporting him as they stumble to the bed.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [solohux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/solohux/gifts).



Matt gets two lunches in the canteen and sets them into the carrier he uses. This started out as him being worried about Techie’s eating habits - or lack thereof. Techie’s anxiety wouldn’t let him go to the crowded, loud canteen and getting a meal outside that was expensive and not intended for technical personnel, the techs were expected to get their meal together or not at all. Which meant not at all for Techie. Matt started bringing him lunches in the middle of their shifts, watching Techie nibble at whatever he was given. Soon enough, he figured that if he doesn’t spend the time glaring at people who give him funny looks in the cafeteria, he can be with Techie longer. Nowadays they ate together by Techie’s computers, sometimes chatting, and sometimes, when Techie’s had a rough night, just eating together side by side.

He enters the room where Techie works, immediately making a beeline for the corner where they meet, separated by a thin wall from the other people. Matt knows it's there to stop them from staring at Techie and thus reducing productivity, but he's still grateful Techie has a place to hide. Some of the techs give him a look that's funny in a different way than they usually give him, but he ignores them. It's only when he finds Techie’s cubicle empty that he understands. 

It’s uncharacteristic of Techie not to be at his station during the day. Matt wouldn’t worry if it was anyone else - people take breaks from work, go to get something to eat or to chat to a friend - but Techie leaving his workplace sooner than an hour after his shift ends, to make sure everyone has left already and won’t surprise him in the corridors, is odd. Matt sits down onto Techie’s chair to inspect the state of the computer - if it’s only slightly encrypted, Techie has probably just left for the bathroom and took longer than usual. 

However, he quickly finds he can't get in using Techie’s idiot-warding password only, which means Techie planned to leave for a longer time. Matt is positively terrified when he can crack the passwords anyway. Techie has obviously put enough effort into seemingly making his computer well-guarded but used easy passwords, all of which Matt can guess simply because he knows Techie; his favorite meal, favorite colour, favorite song, in sequence Matt has no problems figuring out. The last password turns out to be a desperate call for help - Matt’s own name. 

Techie has obviously cleaned up after himself, there's no work left unfinished. Matt calms down a little - if Techie had time to finish his work, he wasn’t dragged away by someone. He simply didn’t put enough effort into the passwords, and if Matt were to be reasonable, someone who didn’t know Techie as well would hardly be able to get through it. Still, he needs to find Techie and see what happened. 

Techie has a room for himself, a courtesy and luxury hardly anyone on the ship shares. Matt knows it’s probably another of the little things General Hux has done for Techie but he can’t be sure. Techie wouldn’t talk about his involvement with Hux, and Matt is the last person to pressure anyone into talking. He doesn’t care much why Techie has his own room, he settles for being happy about it. 

He knocks at the door, using his hand instead of the bell. It’s a signal, one of many the pair of them have developed between each other. He stands there for a long time but doesn’t knock for the second time - if Techie isn’t responding, it’s because he doesn’t want Matt to see him. Figuring out the balance between giving Techie space and stopping him from hurting himself is a complicated process. Finally, the door opens and Matt understands what kept Techie in the room. 

The lights are down to nearly darkness and Matt slips inside the room not to let the light from the corridor in. He can barely make out the shape of Techie’s shoulders in the dark but he doesn’t really have to. 

“How bad is it?” Matt asks. He can hear Techie’s breathing and the movements of his eyes moving erratically. 

“Eight and a half,” Techie whispers through his gritted teeth. He gasps and stifles a sob.

“Let’s get you back to bed,” Matt suggests and finds Techie’s waist with his hand, supporting him as they stumble to the bed. Techie breathes deeply through his nose, as if he’s trying not to pass out. “It’s okay, I’ve got you. Just a little bit more. That’s it.”

He sets Techie on the bed, noticing its state. The pillow is slightly damp and Matt touches Techie’s forehead, careful not to hurt him more. It’s hot and damp with sweat. Techie’s long hair is disheveled and plastered to his head.

Matt sets the carrier with their food on the ground; it’s probably cold by now anyway. He can always heat it up later. He finds Techie’s hand with his own and takes it.

“Did you take some medicine?” he asks. Techie squeezes his hand twice in a quick succession.

“Painkillers?” Matt inquires further. Techie’s hands closes once and loosens, almost guiltily.

“Are you out?” Another squeeze.

“Do you want me to get you some?” The two squeezes are strong and quick.

“I’ll be right back,” he tells Techie and raises their joined hands to his lips, kissing Techie’s knuckles before standing up and making his way to the bathroom. It’s his fault Techie has been lying paralyzed in bed for possibly hours - he should have made sure there were some of the pills in Techie’s bedside drawer, it’s his job. He’s a lousy excuse of a boyfriend but somehow Techie doesn’t seem to realise that. He finds the pills quickly and fills a glass of water from an emergency bottle beside it. All of Techie’s room is turned into an intricate web of things to ease his crippling migraines, and Matt is proud of navigating it automatically.

“Here you go,” he sits down on the bed and presses a pill between Techie’s lips and waits for them to open before giving Techie a sip of the water. He caresses Techie’s cheek with the tips of his fingers, then his mouth. Techie’s hand searches for Matt’s thigh and settles on it. Matt lets it lie there for a while before taking it in his own again. 

“Do you need anything else?” he asks. Techie agrees, and slips his hand out of Matt’s grip, sneaking it onto Matt’s stomach, pressing slightly. 

“Anything else?”

Techie responds with another pat on Matt’s stomach, as if he’s dealing with someone of lowered intellect. Matt gives in, kicking his shoes off and removing his glasses, and lies down beside Techie who shuffles a little to let the two of them share the bed. Matt lies on his side and rests his hand on Techie’s flat abdomen, a simple gesture of  _ I’m here, I’ve got you _ . Techie covers it with his own hand, and they lie quietly for a long time. Every little sound seems like an explosion -  the whirring of Techie’s eyes malfunctioning and moving too fast, his gasps and moans when the pain flares up, their breaths, Matt’s rumbling stomach. Techie relaxes as the painkillers kick in and his breathing evens out. 

Matt shuffles and touches Techie’s forehead again. Techie is sweating profusely, and he’s kicked the covers off himself, which Matt supposes is good sign. He wipes Techie’s brow with the sleeve of his jumpsuit and arranges Techie’s hair on the pillow. 

“Everything okay?” he whispers. His voice is loud in the darkness and he wishes he could stop being so damn  _ large  _ every once in a while. Techie catches Matt’s hand with his own and presses his mouth to the back of it. 

“Do you want a glass of water?”

Techie flips Matt’s arm over and kisses the inner side of his wrist twice.

“Anything else?” 

Techie nibbles at the point where he can feel Matt’s pulse. 

“Is that a no?” Matt asks with a smile, “Not that I don’t appreciate your kisses but I need a clear answer.”

Techie thinks for a while, then kisses Matt’s wrist twice. 

“Okay. I’ll be right back,” Matt promises and waits for Techie to let go of his hand. He rolls out of the bed, trying not to move too much for fear of hurting Techie, and walks to the bathroom where he pours another glass of water. Sitting back onto the bed, he brushes Techie’s hair from his face and helps him raise his head a little. He puts the glass to Techie’s lips and waits for him to drink it. 

They settle back down but Techie isn’t as motionless anymore. He still doesn’t talk but at least he’s playing with Matt’s name tag, with the zipper of his jumpsuit, with his belt. Time ticks away and Matt knows he’ll get yelled at in the evening or the next day for never coming back from his lunch break. Techie doesn’t know that and he never can; Matt knows he’d never let him take care of him during his migraines if he had any idea into how much trouble Matt gets. It’s a miracle they haven’t fired him yet, but Matt supposes Techie is the reason for it too. Maybe the General knows there’s a bond between him and Techie, and wants Techie to keep him. Either way, Matt doesn’t care. Getting yelled at stopped having any effect on him long ago, and it’s hardly any sacrifice for Techie’s sake. 

“Matt,” Techie croaks suddenly and Matt almost falls off the bed. He’s been drifting off for a while.

“Yes?” 

“Thank you.”

“Shh.”

“I’m better now.”

“Okay.”

Techie twines his fingers in Matt’s curls, scratches his scalp and pulls Matt in for a kiss. He parts his lips slightly and sighs. 

“You're so kind to me,” he whispers, playing with Matt’s ear, “so good.”

“Everything for you, sweetheart.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> [Come say hi on tumblr.](http://ellstra.tumblr.com/)


End file.
